20 Signs You Have a Terrible Roommate

Just when you least expect it...

Everything has been going along OK. You got accepted into the college you wanted. You bought all the coolest stuff at Target to take to the dorm. You went through a lot of effort filling out your housing information and you've emailed your new roommate all summer. All is going according to plan, when lo and behold, you arrive at college only to find you want to kill your new roommate. You begin to realize that you have a terrible roommate.

Yes, these things do happen. First of all, most people are not terrible. They are just a terrible match as a roommate for you. Plenty of people are just lovely if you never have to live with them. Also, many college roommates are not so bad if you really get to know them. Sometimes you just need to work out the petty problems and learn to live with each other.

However, sometimes you get stuck with someone that is just impossible. You might have a roommate who lives as if she is about to audition for a spot on the show "Hoarders." Everything is cluttered, there is total filth everywhere, and the shared bathroom - you don't even want to know what is going on in there. Perhaps you have a roommate who is a major player and he brings home new girls every night while trying to steal your girlfriend. It is no fun sleeping out in the hallway - or worse - witnessing his activities every night.

So if you are trying to figure out if your roommate is just not for you, but a totally normal person otherwise, or if your roommate is the most terrible roommate ever, check out this helpful list.

The 20 Signs You Have a Terrible Roommate:

Your roommate waits for you to go away for the weekend. When you return, the entire place is redecorated in a Halloween theme. It is April.

You can't find your way to the bathroom sink because there are trash bags everywhere. There is also dirty underwear hanging all over the place. And the flies... let's not even talk about the flies.

You've started to notice your roommate has been creating voodoo dolls for fun. One of them looks a little too much like you.

Each day, your roommate sneaks in a new pet. So far, there are 5 small dogs, 3 cats, a ferret, 6 birds, 2 lizards, and 9 hamsters. Most of them sleep on or under your bed.

Your roommate buries you under stuffed animals and pillows every time you try to take a nap.

Your roommate tries to bury you outside, 6 feet under in the dirt when you try to take a nap.

Your roommate succeeds burying you 6 feet under while you try to take a nap.

There is a mystery smell that never seems to go away. When you ask what it is, your roommate tells you it is a secret.

Your roommate literally never speaks to you, but speaks to others. He just nods at you if you say something.

Your roommate claims he is an FBI agent. Sometimes he climbs out the window when he thinks "they are coming for him." He never elaborates on who "they" are.

Your dorm room is filled with mice; however, they are your roommate's pets. She simply does not like to keep them in a cage.

Your roommate makes food and then leaves it sitting for weeks. She claims it is a science experiment, but you are highly suspicious she is just lazy.

When you try to cross over to your roommate's side of the room to get something, he begins barking and growling at you.

Your roommate wears all your clothes without asking. You are a size 2 and your roommate is a size 16.

You and your roommate sleep in a bunk bed. Your roommate sleeps on top and enjoys dropping things on your head on regular basis and yelling, "Bombs away!" It would not be so bad except he likes to use bowling balls.

Your roommate uses your toothbrush to clean the toilet.

Your roommate waters your plants with detergent to get rid of that "annoying soil" smell.

When you come home one day, you find your roommate installing strobe lights and a disco ball. She is going to charge admission for the dance club she is creating in the middle of your room. She is not even willing to share the profits with you.

Your roommate is studying taxidermy. Unfortunately, your roommate has a lot of homework and it is done in the dorm room.

Comments

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AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

4 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

Your roommate sounds like he was pretty cool. You were very lucky!

Timothy Arends

4 years agofrom Chicago Region

Pretty funny! My roommate was actually pretty good. We weren't fast friends (or friends at all) but on the other hand, we weren't exactly enemies either. In fact, he actually pulled me out of the water in swimming class when I was accidentally heading into the deep end of the pool! Can't gripe about that.

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

6 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

I actually did that to a roommate once. I was not the greatest person to live with in college. It was still funny though. :-) Thanks for the comment!

ElleBee

6 years ago

I think no. 1 is a sign of either a terrible roommate, or living with your best friend who loves to joke around :)

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

Wow, you sound like you've had some very special people in your life, too. You never know how nutty a person is until you really get to know them. And if you do live with someone, wow! You get to find out some really scary things. I would never have a roommate again. I've had some crazy roommates and I just don't have the patience for it anymore. Thanks for the comment and sharing!

Katharella

7 years agofrom Lost in America

Your hubs are hysterical. But I'm also sorry for the downside! I've only had one person who kind of took it upon herself that she'd move in MY HOUSE. I said no she couldn't, but could spend the night. During that night, she sat on my toilet and text to her bf until she BROKE the toilet.

Came and asked me if she could use my flat iron. Um, it was brand new, I had just put it in the bottom drawer in the bathroom that day. How did she known I had one if she wasn't going through my things. I also found all the change in a fish piggy bank missing. Various other things missing, and for some reason, even though I told her no, she could not move in she still calls and wants to visit. Regardless of how many times I say no and ask her for the money she owes me, she tends to ignore an expensive dress she never returned. A movie she asked me to "pick up for her if I seen it." A flash drive she stored her photos on, but doesn't have. Forgets that I helped her move, twice and never asked for anything, but somehow I'm still the bad guy when I asked her to tell her daughter she could not play in my jewelry!

I don't think I can do room-mates or now, even over night guests. Especially when I visited her only to find some of my belongings at her house, and missing nail polish!

I wonder sometimes, does everyone need to be put to some kind of test to know if they are even "friend" worthy? How fair is that to an honest person, and how many people do you have to go through to find the honest person! So far, mine are another state except one GUY who won't use my female items!

How many chances do you give a person? It sure looks like, one!

-Kat

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

The Electro Ferret - I am glad this gave you some good practical joke ideas. Some of these things really happened to me and roommates. By the way, great screen name!

janikon - I am glad you did not end up losing any of the coffee. Thanks for the vote up.

Hunbbel Meer - I am happy you enjoyed the hub. We can all use a good laugh sometimes.

hazelbrown - I know what you mean. It is very difficult to adapt to living with a total stranger. Even the nicest people start to get on your nerves when you live in such close quarters.

Thank you everyone for your comments!

hazelbrown

7 years agofrom Central PA

So funny, but I am cringing too. Having a roommate was the WORST part of college. Not that she wasn't a great person, but just... ugh. A roommate. Sometimes you just want to be ALONE! I think it's cruel to put two total strangers together in one room and deal with the stresses of college, especially as a freshman. I had a suite (single rooms, shared bathroom) my jr and sr year, and it was AWESOME. I loved it! Could finally enjoy college.

Syed Hunbbel Meer

7 years agofrom Karachi, Pakistan.

Extremely funny and informative too. I haven't experienced it so far. Thanks for a good laugh any ways :)

...On a side note, thanks for the practical joke ideas. I have got to try some of these!

The Electro Ferret

7 years ago

At the very least, you'll be able to look back years later and laugh. Laugh all the way to the bank, in fact, to deposit the profits from that sitcom that was inspired by your college years...

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

Thank you! I try to be funny, but I always hope to make some good points, too. A lot of these examples are actually taken from real experiences.

Sun-Girl

7 years agofrom Nigeria

Funny piece of article but it actually made a lot reasonable views which i so much enjoyed reading from.

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

I know what you mean. I never get bored or lonely either. There is always something to do. If I feel like talking to someone, I can pick up the phone or just walk to the mall (which I live beside). I know plenty of people that work there since I've had a number of part-time jobs at that mall. Roommates are just awful!

Veronica

7 years agofrom New York

We had one in particular seriously alcoholic sorority sister but beyond that nothing like you are talking about...that is just awful! Yes, living alone is wonderful. Silly people have the nerve to ask, "oh don't you get lonely?" and I am like never! I have sisters, cousins, parents all within 10-15 minutes of me as well as tons of friends. Then there's always internet and cell phone :-) If anything, I wish I could get bored and lonely because usually I am so busy I barely have time to breath (let alone read and write hubs ha)

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

I know exactly what you mean. I've had bad roommates, but I've also had bad dormmates. I once shared a bathroom with 8 other girls. It was HORRIBLE! A couple of the girls were drug addicts and one threw up all the time. It would not have been so bad if she at least had a good aim for the toilet or cleaned up afterwards. I suspect she had an eating disorder. I've lived by myself for about 8 years now. It is wonderful!!!

Veronica

7 years agofrom New York

I could write several hubs about the bad roommates I have had over the years...there was freshman year in college where I lived with someone we dubbed the "Capitalistic Hippy" (wore tie-dyed shirts and listened to Janis Joplin but drove a gas guzzlin SUV while talking on her cell phone). To piss her off I stuck Britney Spears and BackStreet Boys posters on my wall next to her Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin...our room looked like an exhibit of Back Then & Now lol. Then I lived in a sorority house with 15 girls and 2 bathrooms...yea use your imagination and still you won't be able to come up with half the stories I can tell you. And finally as an adult shared a horrible apartment with someone I think is borderline insane and bipolar who practically had me going to the police! So now you know why ever since 2008 I have lived alone and LOVE IT. My next roommate? My future husband :-p lol

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

Cogerson - Ah, roommates are always interesting, huh? I always wonder what goes through someone's mind when they take your stuff all the time without asking. Do they just think, "Well, it is just sitting here and it isn't mine and it isn't in my room, but he's not using it, so...." Thanks for reading and for the comment!

Angie - Hahaha... I do think a husband can count for some of this stuff. Sometimes they are the worst roommates. Thanks for dropping by and the comment.

Angie Jardine

7 years agofrom Cornwall, land of the eternally youthful mind ...

Hi Jeannie ... never had a room mate ... does a husband count? Many thanks for this very funny hub ...

UltimateMovieRankings

7 years agofrom Virginia

Luckily my days of roommates are over with...lol. My first roommate was a trip....he would take stuff from my room all the time.....money, clothes, music, movies...you name it...my stuff was free game....it got so bad I had to buy a padlock for my door. Ah those were the days. Funny hub as usual, thanks for taking me back down memory lane.

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

This is true! Maybe anyone who exhibits any of this behavior is really a lovely, normal person deep down inside. Actually, plenty of normal people do some of the stuff on this list. To be honest, I may have been known to bury my roommate in stuffed animals and pillows when she took naps. It was funny at the time. Hmmmm... guess that says something about me.

Thanks for the comment. By the way, the cupboard thing does not seem too bad... I'll bet it was quiet in there.

Greensleeves Hubs

7 years agofrom Essex, UK

Oh dear. All this bad experience with room mates. Is it just possible that they are not really so bad? Is it just possible they are all perfectly normal, sane, rational people and are just using these ruses and ploys to try to get rid of a room mate that THEY don't like living with?

(Of course I wouldn't believe that for a second in your case Jeannie!)

I once knew a college student who sat in a cupboard to study for his exams. Never did find out why.

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

I am glad you've never had the "thrill" of a bad roommate before. Some of these signs actually came from actual experiences that either I've had or my friends have had. Thanks for reading and for the comment.

Linda Bilyeu

7 years agofrom Orlando, FL

I never had a terrible roommate BUT just in case I ever do have one I'll be on the look-out for these warning signs! I'll have them posted on the front door!!! hahaha!! Good hub!

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

Thank you both for the comments! Cloverleaf, I am glad you enjoyed the hub. Sadly, some of this comes from personal experience and the toothbrush example really happened to a friend of mine. Movie Master, I am happy you liked the hub so much. Thanks for the vote up!

Movie Master

7 years agofrom United Kingdom

Hi Jeannie, Number 8 is just the best, so funny!

Loved the hub, thanks for sharing and voting up.

Cloverleaf

7 years agofrom Calgary, AB, Canada

Hi Jeannie, I really enjoyed this hub it gave me a good chuckle. Thankfully, I've never had to share with a roommate, don't think I could handle my toilet getting cleaned with my toothbrush :-)

Cloverleaf

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

Wow, you've really had some bad luck with roommates. I hope all goes well for you this year with the new roommate. Thanks for reading and thanks for the comment!

sstokes90

7 years agofrom North Carolina

Yes, I agree. CRAZY roommate lol. I had a terrible roommate my freshman year; rotten food in the fridge, never took out the garbage and never helped clean the room, rarely spoke to me, etc. My sophomore year I had a crazy roommate! She would get mad if I mentioned her to someone else (in a good way!), if I gave my honest opinion on an outfit after she asked for it and would be yelling and cussing one minute and perfectly fine, wanting to grab lunch the next minute! This is my junior year and hopefully I won't have a terrible or crazy roommate. So far she just likes to talk a lot lol

AUTHOR

Jeannie InABottle

7 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

This is true - most of these do indicate you might be living with a crazy roommate. I know what you mean. I don't know why so many people are so messy! Thanks for reading and for the comment.

basil4lyf

7 years ago

nah this wnt b a terrible room...it is more lyk a crazy rm. i haven't really had success staying with roommates because their level cleanliness and neatness seem to fall below my expectation

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